Home Wong Nga and Black Cty: April 2010

Friday, April 30, 2010

What Has Made You Happy Lately?

I guess I am a pretty easy person to please. I can see something good in pretty much all situations. Also, the simplest things (for example, the cake I baked turned out well or I grabbed the last box of cookies at the store... things like that) make me smile.Last week the package my sister sent arrived. It had some Japanese sewing books I wanted... That made me super happy!!I have been really busy lately, so I haven't had a chance to sit down to truly enjoy them. Although even just skimming through them, I found so many pretty clothes I want...

With Mother's Day just around the corner (Oh, my goodness! Is it really next week!?), I thought I would give everyone my top three picks from the store that I would love to give or receive for Mother's Day this year. Remember, we ship if you see something your mom has just got to have! (And our online shopping site is just up and running... more on that to come!) And if you see that little something you just can't live without, feel free to leave this page open on your computer with a little sticky note for your husband... I'm just sayin'...1....

When we travel, we are always on the look out for a piece of local art we can bring back home. It could be pottery, a hand carved wood bowl or a painting.When we were in France we spent some time in Art Galleries and looking at street artists in all of the cities we visited. From Paris to Avignon, we were looking for that certain oil painting that captured the feel of French Country.We found a charming art gallery on a side street in Avignon that dealt in local artists. We purchased this beautiful painting called Chemin de...

Last fall I planted our first tulip bulbs in the yard. The variety is called 'Triumph' and came from Van Bloem Gardens.It was pure joy to watch her rise up from the spring ground and say hello. I think even dear Hubby said hello back. This fall, I'm going to make a point of getting many more bulbs to plant around the yard because there's nothing quite sweeter than to see that little sleeping bulb come up in the spring and blossom into a beautiful flower. Happy weekend dear friends....

In the shadows before nightfall, the amethyst orbs of Star of Persia twinkle like planets against the purple foliage sky of loropetalum and the constellation of blue scabiosa stars.Everything looks different in the sunshine as Star of Persia (allium christophii) and the companions revert to their daytime colors. Not a focal point, but an accent—the softball-sized flowers add a hint of sparkle to the garden.These are first year bulbs, planted in the autumn of 2009. Tucked in tightly among the foliage of daylilies, scabiosa 'Butterfly Blue', a burgundy...

i.materialise is a web-based 3D printing service provider. You give them a computer model and some money, and they send you a physical model in return. Pretty simple, really.Except that 3D printing is usually anything but simple. Printing SketchUp models involves file conversion, scale conversion and quite a bit of checking for mysterious things like "watertightness". With demand for rapid prototyping on the rise, companies like Materialise (and a few others) are doing their best to make the SketchUp-to-object printing process easier than ever.How...

In honor of all our fantastic blog readers, we are going to start a little something called "Friday Madness." Every Friday we will post a different promotion for the Willows for that day only... and we will only announce it on the blog. Thus, only our dedicated blog readers will have the inside tip. Just come into the store and mention the blog to get whatever discount we are offering that Friday. Sound good? Be sure to tell all your friends to follow the blog, as I am sure no one wants to miss this...20% Off All Apparel - Today Only!Even...

have those of you that subscribe to house beautiful received the latest issue? i’m a little concerned. i was browsing the magazine aisle at the store yesterday and saw the latest issue of house beautiful. the problem is that i’m a subscriber and haven’t received mine for this month. i know elle decor had a mix up last month and quite a few of their subscribers didn’t receive their issues due to a shortage. i’m just wondering if the same thing happened this month with house beautiful. maybe mine just got lost...

1. nate berkus for hsn. this dhurrie rug in particular. 2. and this ikat journal set also by nate. 3. this beautiful quote that i saw earlier this week on pink wallpaper. 4. this super-cute height chart. i saw it on the real living blog. 5. this suzani apron. saw it on the green door and she found it at magpie lovely. have a lovely spring weekend! LiveJournal Tags: loving...,suzani,dhurrie rug,nate berkus collection,hsn,ikat,quote...

Notice Something Different?

Here is a picture of my powder room, that I have shown you before.....Here is a picture taken today. Do you notice anything different?I found this wonderful porcelain night light in a black toile that almost disappears into the wallpaper!Here it is with the light turned on....When we had company over, I felt I needed to leave the light on while they were here. Now the night light is just the perfect amount of light, so my company can find the light switch when they walk into the powder room. It is the perfect ambiant light.I found...

SketchUp training for kitchen & bath designers

If you’re a kitchen & bath designer who’s interested in learning more about using SketchUp in your workflow, this one’s for you. Our SketchUp Authorized Training Center friends at School are planning a Designer Bootcamp for late May. You’ll learn how to use SketchUp Pro, LayOut and the 3D Warehouse to make your process easier, more efficient and more fun.WHEN: May 26, 27 and 28 , 2010WHERE: Orlando, Florida, USAHOW MUCH: $699 for the 3-day event (18 hours of hands-on training)For more information, check out School’s blog post about the event.Posted...

Up close and personal

We’re happy to announce that Nashville, Indianapolis, Charlotte, and Dallas are the newest additions to the family of Google Earth cities with high-quality 3D imagery. Exploring some of America’s most well-known cities from the comfort of your own computer just got even easier, and it also got more fun!Whether exploring Nashville’s music venues along 2nd and Broadway, Indy’s Monument Circle in the heart of downtown, Charlotte’s diverse and numerous museums, or Dallas’s architecturally rich historic districts, the updated high quality 3D imagery...

Last call to cast your vote!

April is coming to a close, and you can still add your vote (if you haven’t already done so) for the best town in the Google Model Your Town Competition. On May 1, 2010 at midnight PST the voting page will be closed. We'll announce the winner on May 14th. The winner will be one of the following five finalists: Barranco (Lima, Peru) Braunschweig (Niedersachsen, Germany) Donostia - San Sebastián (Gipuzkoa, Spain) Dursley (Gloucestershire, United Kingdom) West Palm Beach (Florida, United States)Voice your opinion. Vote now!Posted by...

Meet Joan. I've known her since I was a little girl. This Italian bust of marble and alabaster used to sit on a table in my Grandmother's foyer in California. Before that, she came from my Great Great Grandmother's house in Chicago.Growing up, I didn't know her as the tragic and heroic figure Joan of Arc. She was just the pretty lady that greeted us in my Grandmother's entry.For now, she's on our bedroom dresser. Eventually, I would like to relocate her to the living room downstairs, but will need to find a table strong enough to support her....

I have been reading all the comments on my last post "What I have learned from my Mom". Your comments are all so personal and sweet! Thank you so much for participating and sharing such special stories about your mothers and what you have learned from them.The giveaway will go until the 5th, so if you haven't entered don't forget to do so!I am also celebrating Moms at Ruffles and Stuff today... I have been given the opportunity to be a guest blogger and to share my newest tutorial there. It could be a gift idea for your mom! Please head over...

design to inspire...

Did you know that I love to design? It is almost a sickness. Whenever I am at one of my kids' houses I can't help but start rearranging furniture in my head or thinking what pieces may better suit the space or how to create a more beautiful flow through the room or... I could go on and on. It honestly brings me so much joy and fulfillment to assist in creating a beautiful space in someone's home. That was one of the main reasons I opened the Willows many years ago. I receive lovely and flattering comments from people all the time, but the other...